Professional and Personal Identity
Do you have a “work self” and a “personal life self”? I absolutely do.
The McKenzie you know from LinkedIn is not the same McKenzie my friends and family know.
My professional identity isn’t wildly different, but I think presenting a more polished version of myself at work has benefited my career.
Why do I separate the two versions of me? Partially because I come from a long line of vulgar-mouthed Italian Americans and our penchant for dropping inappropriate f-bombs has no place in an office cubicle.
Also, as a former teacher who started in the classroom young, I always had to draw a clear line in the sand to separate myself from my students. It was better to be overly formal than too casual with them.
Not to mention presenting my whole self at work would open me up to bias - gender bias, political bias, ability bias, etc.
Maybe you see it as keeping peers at an arm’s distance but I see it as a form of protection. I can still enjoy myself and connect genuinely with colleagues while maintaining a healthy distinction between my work and personal life.
I believe it is possible to be both professional and authentic at the same time.
